Chapter 148: The Five Great Families
"Eric..." Upon seeing Eric, Tang Feiyan exclaimed and lunged towards him. If Eric hadn't acted quickly, deploying a Qi Shield behind him, they both might have ended up on the ground.
"How did you come at such a timely moment... were you waiting here the whole time?" Eric asked, feeling surprised.
"No!" Tan Ailing also approached, gently linking her arm with Eric's and smiling, "After lunch, we went to the forensic identification center and waited there for the results, so we came together with Captain Wang..."
Captain Wang, who had just finished processing paperwork here, the same Wang Dali who interrogated Eric, walked over, sincerely saying, "Mr. Eric, I'm really sorry! The autopsy report is out, and it turns out that the waiter did die before you intervened! I apologize for any inconvenience caused by our investigation..."
Eric smiled indifferently and quoted a line, "It's okay, cooperation between the police and citizens is the duty of every citizen!"
"Thank you for your understanding..." Although Wang Dali now lacked the explosiveness and recklessness of last night, he still seemed awkward with words. He went on, "...So, goodbye!"
Fortunately, Eric was a laid-back person and didn't mind his somewhat rude behavior, just nodding with a smile.
"Eric, to celebrate your regained freedom, I'm treating you to a feast!" Tang Feiyan said as she pushed Eric into the car.
Seeing Eric's resigned expression, Tan Ailing chuckled softly and followed suit.
Despite Tang Feiyan's somewhat sisterly affection, she didn't seat Eric in the front passenger seat but had him sit in the back with Ailing.
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As Tang Feiyan started the car, Eric held Tan Ailing's hand and shared a smile with her.
Tang Feiyan wasn't as quiet as Eric and Tan Ailing; she drove while exclaiming, "Eric, did you fare well after we left in the daytime?"
This immediately reminded Eric of the annoying delusional patient, and he furrowed his brows slightly.
This slight reaction caught Tan Ailing's attention. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing." Eric smiled at her slightly and said, "Just a guy who's quite annoying!"
Tan Ailing's expression was slightly strange, seeming to be unsure or hesitant about something.
"What's the matter?"
"Eric, I seem to have heard of this Li Penghao, but I'm not sure of his identity..."
"Why?"
"Because the Li Penghao I know comes from an extremely prominent family, one of the best in all of China. It shouldn't be possible for him to be detained in that villa!"
"According to him, he was ordered by his family to 'reflect on his actions' because he harassed a girl surnamed 'Wen'!"
"'Wen' surname? If that's the case, then it makes sense..."
"Oh right..." Eric remembered something and added, "Li Penghao has considerable internal strength, probably a first-class master. And he also has a jade pendant on him, with functions similar to the jewelry I gave you, making it a quite rare magical item!"
"It seems that this Li Penghao is indeed the one I know!" Seeing the faint worry on Tan Ailing's face, Eric curiously asked, "Who exactly is this Li Penghao that makes you so worried?"
"Ah..." Tan Ailing sighed softly and said, "Eric, if Li Penghao really causes trouble, then it's really bad!"
"Just because of a first-class master? What's so bad about that?" Tang Feiyan scoffed, "Once I consolidate my current realm and master the martial arts I've learned, I can knock that kid down on my own without you guys having to intervene!"
"Come on..." Tan Ailing rolled her eyes at her and said, "The three of us together can handle at most three mature pre-heaven experts, but their family has at least ten pre-heaven experts..."
Tang Feiyan paused for a moment, stubbornly saying, "Even if his family has many experts, they wouldn't mobilize them all just for one kid, right?"
"If it were anyone else, of course not!" Tan Ailing sighed again, "But Li Penghao is the beloved youngest son of the family head, and even the ancestor's favorite..."
"Ailing, after all you've said, whose family is this Li Penghao from?" Eric's curiosity grew stronger and stronger.
"The Tang Dynasty Family!"
"The Tang Dynasty Family?" Tang Feiyan exclaimed in disbelief. Since she had decided to enter the martial arts world, she had learned a lot about the current martial arts scene from Tan Ailing, so she was naturally not unfamiliar with the "Tang Dynasty Family," which claimed to be one of the "Five Great Families" of the current era. "Are you talking about that power, with strength, influence, and martial prowess that are all unfathomable?"
"It's precisely that Tang Dynasty Family that even ten Tan families combined cannot compare to!"
Seeing the helpless and surprised expressions on Tan Ailing and Tang Feiyan's faces, Eric couldn't help but laugh and say, "It seems like you've forgotten I have subordinates..."
Upon Eric's reminder, Tang Feiyan's eyes lit up immediately. "Right, Eric said he could have over thirty pre-heaven experts in a month, right? With such formidable strength, who should we fear? Moreover, Eric also has the backing of the Medicine King Sect and Sakya..."
However, Tan Ailing was not as optimistic as Tang Feiyan. "Except for the Zhou Dynasty Family, which ranks first, the other four Great Families are like branches of the same tree, with generations of intermarriage and interconnected interests. If they are determined to oppose us, even with Eric's thirty-plus pre-heaven experts, even with the support of the Medicine King Sect and Sakya, we are no match for them..."
Eric thought Tan Ailing was overthinking things. Even with generations of friendly relations, it wouldn't make sense to go all out to provoke a powerful enemy over a trivial matter.
But Eric didn't say much. He knew Tan Ailing was just overly concerned about him, so she was preparing for the worst to prevent any potential trouble.
Patting Tan Ailing's slightly cold hand, Eric gently asked, "What's the background of these Five Great Families?"
Seeing Eric's indifferent demeanor, Tan Ailing could only sigh inwardly and explain, "The Five Great Families were established by the descendants of five ancient dynasties in China. With hundreds of years of accumulation of talent and wealth, they control over thirty percent of the country's power!
The top-ranked Zhou Dynasty Family is the most mysterious. Although it has the longest history, so far, no outsider knows the location of its mountain gate.
The second-ranked is the Tang Dynasty Family, headquartered in Xi'an, with influence spanning Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi, and Sichuan.
The third-ranked is the Han Dynasty Family, headquartered in Luoyang, with influence covering Henan, Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui.
The fourth-ranked is the Ming Dynasty Family, headquartered in Nanjing, with influence extending to Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangsu.
The fifth-ranked is the Song Dynasty Family, headquartered in Hangzhou, with influence encompassing Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangzhou. Due to the economic rise of coastal regions in the past century, the strength of the Song Dynasty Family has gradually increased, possibly surpassing the Ming Dynasty Family and rivaling the Han Dynasty Family!"